LOGANVILLE, Ga. — Earlier than the primary official recreation of the 2025-26 season might happen, the Eastside Eagles took the journey into Gwinnett County to scrimmage the Grayson Rams.
The Eagles fell quick in each scrimmages in opposition to one of many state’s powerhouse packages, however each teams competed and gave themselves check earlier than the primary recreation of the yr.
Within the first matchup of the day, the Woman Eagles fell 39-66 to the reigning Class AAAAAA runner up Woman Rams.
Eastside’s boys staff battled and stored it shut within the remaining recreation, however Grayson in the end pulled away late to win 74-62.
Eastside boys hold it shut in opposition to formidable opponent
The Eagles made it a recreation that the Rams needed to earn, however head coach Dorrian Randolph didn’t draw back from the way in which his staff can enhance after the scrimmage.
“Grayson is a good staff. We battled and I noticed that, however we had means too many turnovers that have been our errors — unforced turnovers,” Randolph mentioned. “We’re fortunate it solely stayed at 12. We’re out of practice.They’d about 12 transition factors that have been us simply not sprinting again. General, we did what I needed to do, which was compete. It took us a minute, we appeared fairly scared within the first half, however that third quarter we awoke.”
The Eagles broke out to an early lead that noticed the staff as soon as lead 7-2, however Grasyon started to slowly chip away and mount its personal lead.
Grayson outscored Eastside 20-12 within the second quarter because the Rams took a 44-27 lead into the break.
Nonetheless, the third quarter proved to be the alternative because the Eagles outscored Grayson 18-11.
“We often begin the third quarter slowly, so it was good to see that we have been in a position to come out and begin quick,” Randolph mentioned. “We acquired quite a lot of issues to work on, however total [it was] not unhealthy.”
MJ Curry, Austin Leonard and Don Thomas have been the principle focal factors for the Rams because the three led the staff in factors.
Grayson has proven its skill to be a high-flying staff over the previous few years, however the majority of the staff’s success on Wednesday got here from the sector.
The sharpshooting skill from Thomas proved to be the most important decider on Wednesday because the senior knocked down nearly every little thing on his strategy to a game-high 26 factors.
For the Eagles, it proved to be a robust combine as 4 gamers completed in double digits.
Iverson Freeman, Christian Gatewood, Jordan Poole and Josiah Johnson all completed with high quality video games.
“As soon as we began dealing with the ball and stopped turning it over, our guards battled,” Randolph mentioned. “Jordan acquired in for the beginning and hit some large photographs. If we’re making photographs, I believe we will probably be fairly robust. On the identical time, they have been making photographs they usually have been already forward. There are occasions the place we play egocentric ball and attempt to match what they’re doing and that is simply not us. We performed first rate protection however there was quite a lot of un-discipline from our staff.”
Neither participant reached double digits, however Jevon Sullivan and Roman Sullivan each performed key elements for the Eagles too because the staff’s guard depth was on full show.
– picture by Garrett Pitts
The Rams had possibilities to create further separation late, however the Eagles continued to search out methods to maintain it a 10-point recreation as nearly each participant scored within the remaining quarter for Eastside.
Baker and Woman Eagles get robust check forward of recreation one
The Woman Eagles and first-year head coach Rod Baker took on the reigning Class AAAAAA runner up within the type of the Grayson Woman Rams.
Grayson returned lots of its key gamers from a yr in the past and it confirmed because the Woman Rams mounted a robust early lead that it by no means gave up.
“I used to be enthusiastic about final evening,” Baker mentioned. “I used to be impressed that we fought until the tip. We knew it was going to be a troublesome activity, however from final evening’s outcomes I’m much more excited for the season. I believe we’re going to be much more aggressive.”
Even then, the Woman Eagles continued to battle and rating with the assistance of seniors Ari Carter and Jarilix Riveira.
– picture by Garrett Pitts
“It’s big as a result of the opposite ladies look as much as them,” Baker mentioned. “We’re going to want them, we simply must hold them wholesome.”
Maybe the brightest spot of the sport for Baker got here within the staff’s defensive efficiency.
Baker’s plan of building a robust press labored, and he famous how Wednesday’s outcome pays dividends for the staff down the street.
“I informed them within the locker room, ‘They struggled with our press and we broke theirs simply,'” Baker mentioned. “Thrice in a row we broke it, I used to be actually impressed. Traditionally they may have put up 100 factors on us however we performed actually good protection final evening.”
For the boys staff, the following matchup will happen Saturday, Nov. 8 once they compete in opposition to Columbia on the SWD Shootout at Southwest Dekalb Excessive Faculty.
After that, each groups will host their residence opener in opposition to Creekside Christian Academy on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
